Crash Bandicoot is an interesting look at what 3D platformers could have been. Super Mario 64 took the side of games that added camera management controls and mechanics. It also had to compromise on the tight platforming of past Mario games to compensate for 3D space and the lack of a consistent point of view. It's easy to imagine a world where the first 3D Mario game looked like Crash Bandicoot with a mostly-fixed camera and tight platforming. Actually, we don't have to imagine; Super Mario 3D World does just that.
The idea of a furry-with-shoes platforming in jungles, ruins, and industrial zones is a shameless rip from Sonic. There's even a mad scientist and a furry girlfriend. I figure the creators decided to cash on on Sonic's appeal before a 3D Sonic game was made. Nowadays, Naughty Dog only rip off all of Hollywood with Uncharted and The Last of Us.
The series has a reputation of being punishingly hard, but if you only play the main content, this first game is balanced. Although trial-and-error is expected for figuring out new mechanics and opponents, the game pelts the player with checkpoints and extra lives. A lot of subtle work went into nudging the player to do well too. There is a run-from-boulder-towards-the-camera level, and it doesn't suck! The biggest oversight is the lack of intuitive visual design to tell the player how to beat mobs. You will think to jump on things that can't be jumped on and punch things that need to be jumped on. It leads to one moment where I felt the need to use the emulator's save-states.
The visuals are endearing and impressive for the PlayStation, and the main theme is hilarious. There are racial caricatures and a buff koala. Sonic doesn't do that shit. It's a good time. Don't be a completionist.